The Green Bus

[Eric Shaw]

The fleet list on the Green Bus web site shows the fleet reduced from 41 vehicles to 25, with some of the Tridents and Olympians missing and both single deckers gone.

[PM]

From what hear it wasn't really their choosing to come off. Something to do with non compliant buses & centro being extremely unhappy.

I don't believe the council were very pleased with their habit of multiple drivers taking layovers at the back of Selfridges stopping Coventry Road services from unloading. That is a bus stop, not a bus stand so vehicles should not be there for longer than it takes to set down passengers.

I.e what your photo of 502 a while back showed Tony?

It does seem that non compliant vehicles were used more than occasionally on there, particularly during the Summer and timekeeping seemed poor when I went on there yesterday.

Also, they seemed mostly empty, unlike back when they really upped the 50 towards the end of 2012.

[trident4370]

The fleet list on the Green Bus web site shows the fleet reduced from 41 vehicles to 25, with some of the Tridents and Olympians missing and both single deckers gone.

118 was in service today and that isn't on the new fleetlist, I'm assuming everything missing is either sold or currently for sale.

[PM]

Interesting though that it's some of the newer ie 51 plate tridents that have been sold and not the remaining step entrance vehicles...

That seems an odd move in a fleet with more step entry vehicles to remove than any other in the West Midlands (I'd have thought anyway).

Could selling more modern vehicles be a better way of raising money than selling step entry deckers?!

[trident4370]

To me it does make some sort of sense, as Matt says the company intends to focus on private hire now. The 51 plate tridents were only ever really brought in for the 50 so now the 50 is gone, what would be the point in keeping them over an Olympian which has considerably more capacity and is seatbelted.

[PM]

To me it does make some sort of sense, as Matt says the company intends to focus on private hire now. The 51 plate tridents were only ever really brought in for the 50 so now the 50 is gone, what would be the point in keeping them over an Olympian which has considerably more capacity and is seatbelted.

But surely most rail replacement work certainly would specify low floor vehicles?

Ensignbus, probably one of the companies which does the most private hire/rail reps, don't have mostly Olympians/Spectras in that side of the fleet...

[trident4370]

To me it does make some sort of sense, as Matt says the company intends to focus on private hire now. The 51 plate tridents were only ever really brought in for the 50 so now the 50 is gone, what would be the point in keeping them over an Olympian which has considerably more capacity and is seatbelted.

But surely most rail replacement work certainly would specify low floor vehicles?

Ensignbus, probably one of the companies which does the most private hire/rail reps, don't have mostly Olympians/Spectras in that side of the fleet...

I don't know how the Rail Rep contracts work tbh although they still have 13 low floor buses to choose from going by that latest fleetlist. From what I've seen lately though Central Buses seem to be getting most of them anyway.

[PM]

To me it does make some sort of sense, as Matt says the company intends to focus on private hire now. The 51 plate tridents were only ever really brought in for the 50 so now the 50 is gone, what would be the point in keeping them over an Olympian which has considerably more capacity and is seatbelted.

But surely most rail replacement work certainly would specify low floor vehicles?

Ensignbus, probably one of the companies which does the most private hire/rail reps, don't have mostly Olympians/Spectras in that side of the fleet...

I don't know how the Rail Rep contracts work tbh although they still have 13 low floor buses to choose from going by that latest fleetlist. From what I've seen lately though Central Buses seem to be getting most of them anyway.

I imagine rail operators appreciate the guaranteed quality they get with Central Buses...

[trident4370]

I imagine rail operators appreciate the guaranteed quality they get with Central Buses...

I'm not disagreeing with that  ;D

[Ashley]

You can turn up a whole variety of vintage vehicles on rail reps even I December 2014, maybe not in the West Mids but in areas just outside London, you can get Titans, Metrobuses, Leyland Olympians etc, sadly you have to be in some kind of click to get the full gen but anyway back to Green Bus who I wish well after the last couple of years on the 50, 64, 125, 558, 22 etc, always good services and enthusiast friendly

[andy]

I imagine rail operators appreciate the guaranteed quality they get with Central Buses...

I'm not disagreeing with that  ;D

Rail operators don't give two hoots about quality of rail replacement operators as they are just fulfilling an obligation to provide a service. As long as they fulfil their requirements and don't cost a fortune rail operators really don't care. They will almost always go for the most competitive tender package.

[Tony]

I imagine rail operators appreciate the guaranteed quality they get with Central Buses...

I'm not disagreeing with that  ;D

Rail operators don't give two hoots about quality of rail replacement operators as they are just fulfilling an obligation to provide a service. As long as they fulfil their requirements and don't cost a fortune rail operators really don't care. They will almost always go for the most competitive tender package.

Depends which company. Southern for one, insist on full low floor vehicles on all planned rail replacement

[BN]

The fleet list on the Green Bus web site shows the fleet reduced from 41 vehicles to 25, with some of the Tridents and Olympians missing and both single deckers gone.

Also drivers being made redundant and engineering staff.

[3Q]

The fleetlist on the website is correct - just logged on to the system and the buses missing off the fleetlist have already been removed from the list available for allocation

Just to clarify each of the withdrawn buses is unroadworthy for whatever reason. I'm sure I've explained that before yet some people on here are still going on about SQBP guidelines etc which are not of relevance any more.

Most clients do not specify low floor vehicles in their booking yet there are still more than enough low floors available to cater for them, of which 100% should now be good runners.

The only slight concern is that both single deckers have gone. It's not often a low height vehicle is needed but it would be nice to have one available for such a case.

Hey Matt

Has the 50 cancellation as of yesterday been approved by VOSA? As I haven't seen anything on their website.

Also, are the Tridents being advertised for sale the unroadworthy ones that you refer to?

Cheers

[3Q]

The fleetlist on the website is correct - just logged on to the system and the buses missing off the fleetlist have already been removed from the list available for allocation

Just to clarify each of the withdrawn buses is unroadworthy for whatever reason. I'm sure I've explained that before yet some people on here are still going on about SQBP guidelines etc which are not of relevance any more.

Most clients do not specify low floor vehicles in their booking yet there are still more than enough low floors available to cater for them, of which 100% should now be good runners.

The only slight concern is that both single deckers have gone. It's not often a low height vehicle is needed but it would be nice to have one available for such a case.

Hey Matt

Has the 50 cancellation as of yesterday been approved by VOSA? As I haven't seen anything on their website.

Also, are the Tridents being advertised for sale the unroadworthy ones that you refer to?

Cheers

Hi 3Q

Once again I'm limited as to what I should say, but I believe the lack of cancellation was legitimate and intentional. What I will say is, look back through the VOSA registrations in November.

Regarding the Tridents - that's correct (we need the good ones!!). In most cases though, it would not be too difficult to get them sorted - just not a worthwhile use of resources for Green Bus as they are surplus to requirements

Thanks Matt. I understand that the variation you refer to on VOSA in November is to suspend service over the Christmas period according to Centro's website but this doesn't take effect until after Christmas Eve.

Can you clarify if VOSA have accepted a cancellation since this date? Surely if not then Greenbus are still obliged to operate according to the registered timetable, up to and including Christmas Eve?

Cheers